Tim Cook Says Apple is Always Focused on 'Products and People' Over Wall Street Expectations

[fpnc]

...Also let’s not forget Jobs was a great manager...

What? I don't think many would call Steve Jobs a "great manager." In many respects he was a poor manager, unless you consider berating others a form of "great" management.

IMO, Steve Jobs had only two great talents. He generally knew a good thing when he saw it and he was an effective spokesperson for his company. He also had a pretty good taste in product design (generally speaking, but not unerringly).

Now, when you combine all of the above into a CEO and mix in some truly talented employees you've got the potential for some great results.

But, good at management? No, I don't think so.

 

[Crosslad]

Dave you are not wrong and I agree with all you say.

However, it would be good if Apple were to be far less evasive when it comes to not paying their fair share of taxes.

Here in the EU, they are active in Ireland and Luxembourg and avoiding (legally I am sure!) their fair share of tax - that impacts everyone and stops us having money for our public services.

Ordinary folk over here cannot get away with what Apple gets away with and clearly that has an impact on their top and bottom lines.

But nowhere near as bad as Google or Amazon imo. At least Apple sells physical goods through physical stores, where people are employed and they collect huge amounts of VAT for the government.

 

[dannys1]

Man....there are some seriously cynical/angry people here. I don't really understand why this site gets so much traffic from people who really don't seem to like the company that is the subject of the site. Seems like a better use of your time would be reading about/discussing things that you actually enjoy.

Is everything perfect? No. Could Apple as a whole be better? Sure. Do they deserve constructive criticism when they have issues with software or hardware they release? Absolutely.

But the over-the-top torch and pitchfork routine is just a sign that some here need a new hobby.

Best and most sensible post in this thread.

 

[Lilok]

The Xbox 360 with Kinect was doing advanced mapping, that is what has eventually lead to Windows Hello. They have in a way, and more so with Apples tech, shrunk the Microsoft Kinect to make face recognition work.
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Wow! I didn’t see that comment by him?

It’s a perfect example of the arrogance portrayed by Apple to its markets and customers now. I’ve never had more bugs in my mobile devices till iOS 11 and Watch OS 4.. it says it all when Leaks suggest Apple will concentrate of all its bugs in iOS 12 instead of new features, which is something it said before about another iOS version..

And as for Siri, not sure how many years it’s been out now and it seems to be just the same now as day one. Way way behind the competition.

I know, right. It's almost as he is intentionally trolling us.

"Just say they opposite of how things really are, Tim. They buy our faulty bs since ten year...they will eat this up too..." -.-

 

[Superhappytree]

I'm sure there will be a lot of negative post on this article but i still think Apple make great products, the iPhone X is easily the best iPhone yet (and the best smartphone on the market in my opinion) the iPad Pro is a great device that has evolved to become a more computer like device for a lot of people, the Apple Watch is easily the best smart watch on the market, the AirPods are great and the HomePod is a great sounding speaker that is worth the cost alone.

Ok i've posted my positive thoughts and agree with Tim Cook, it's now time for the negative ones to start flowing

Like many others, you’re just talking about the hardware though. The software they put out today is absolutely dire and just isn’t up to the quality standard that we should all be expecting from Apple, especially considering the crazy-high prices that they charge today. It negates any decent hardware they put out for many.

HomePod - Speakers are great! (software sucks though)

My iPhone X is great! It’s the best iPhone ever (iOS 11 sucks though and is regarded as the worst version yet)

My MacBook Pro is great! (High Sierra sucks though)


It’s not the hardware that’s the problem (fewer ports, notch and headphone jack aside), it’s the software that is lacking which is the heart and soul of Apple products. Well, it used to be anyway. Everyone just shouts about the hardware now when it was the software was what made me fall in love with Apple.

 

[DNichter]

Like many others, you’re just talking about the hardware though. The software they put out today is absolutely dire and just isn’t up to the quality standard that we should all be expecting from Apple, especially considering the crazy-high prices that they charge today. It negates any decent hardware they put out for many.

HomePod - Speakers are great! (software sucks though)

My iPhone X is great! It’s the best iPhone ever (iOS 11 sucks though and is regarded as the worst version yet)

My MacBook Pro is great! (High Sierra sucks though)


It’s not the hardware that’s the problem (fewer ports, notch and headphone jack aside), it’s the software that is lacking which is the heart and soul of Apple products. Well, it used to be anyway. Everyone just shouts about the hardware now when it was the software was what made me fall in love with Apple.

I can only speak for myself here, but I haven't had any issues with software in 2017. iOS 11 has been flawless on my iPhone X and iPad Pro. My Airpods work great and so does my Apple Watch and Apple TV. I am sure there is truth to your statements, but it is not the case for me.

 

[Dave245]

What? I don't think many would call Steve Jobs a "great manager." In many respects he was a poor manager, unless you consider berating others a form of "great" management.

IMO, Steve Jobs had only two great talents. He generally knew a good thing when he saw it and he was an effective spokesperson for his company. He also had a pretty good taste in product design (generally speaking, but not unerringly).

Now, when you combine all of the above into a CEO and mix in some truly talented employees you've got the potential for some great results.

But, good at management? No, I don't think so.

He knew how to get the best out of people, that doesn't always require being nice.

 

[Bacillus]

Can you please provide a credible source for both of these statements? I would be interested in reading how you Definitively know this.

http://bfy.tw/GkEB
http://bfy.tw/FEGD

 

[trifid]

Wow after reading Cook’s comments especially about Homepod...

The reality distortion field is strong with this one.

 

[Dave245]

Like many others, you’re just talking about the hardware though. The software they put out today is absolutely dire and just isn’t up to the quality standard that we should all be expecting from Apple, especially considering the crazy-high prices that they charge today. It negates any decent hardware they put out for many.

HomePod - Speakers are great! (software sucks though)

My iPhone X is great! It’s the best iPhone ever (iOS 11 sucks though and is regarded as the worst version yet)

My MacBook Pro is great! (High Sierra sucks though)


It’s not the hardware that’s the problem (fewer ports, notch and headphone jack aside), it’s the software that is lacking which is the heart and soul of Apple products. Well, it used to be anyway. Everyone just shouts about the hardware now when it was the software was what made me fall in love with Apple.

While i do get your point about IOS 11 and High Sierra i can't say that i have experienced many bugs or issues, when compared to Android and Samsungs horrible Touch Wiz i would say that IOS is still much better.
I do think that Apple need to focus more on improving the software side of things like bugs such as the latest one they patched, i just cant say that i have experienced them first hand. Apparently tho Apple are taking this year to do just that less features will be announced at WWDC with more attention being given to fixing bugs and getting back to being a great IOS and Mac OS software, maybe they have seen the adoption rates and know it's not as good as previous ones.

 

[Lesser Evets]

 

[Abazigal]

He knew how to get the best out of people, that doesn't always require being nice.

The ends justify the meanness, huh.

That said, the Apple of today is a very different machine from the Apple of yesteryear. Jobs did an admirable job of bringing Apple back from the brink of bankruptcy, but I’m not convinced Apple would be better off with Jobs at the helm with the company at its current size and trajectory anyway. I have to wonder if he would have stepped aside anyway by now.

 

[Dave245]

The ends justify the meanness, huh.

That said, the Apple of today is a very different machine from the Apple of yesteryear. Jobs did an admirable job of bringing Apple back from the brink of bankruptcy, but I’m not convinced Apple would be better off with Jobs at the helm with the company at its current size and trajectory anyway. I have to wonder if he would have stepped aside anyway by now.

Yes they do, Jobs knew how to get the most out of people he worked with, Tim Cook isn't Steve Jobs but he also isn't always known for being nice:

"To some, Cook was a machine; to others, he was riveting. He could strike terror in the hearts of his subordinates, but he could also motivate them to toil from dawn to midnight for just a word of praise."

"Meetings with Cook could be terrifying. He exuded a Zenlike calm and didn't waste words. "Talk about your numbers. Put your spreadsheet up," he'd say as he nursed a Mountain Dew. (Some staffers wondered why he wasn't bouncing off the walls from the caffeine.) When Cook turned the spotlight on someone, he hammered them with questions until he was satisfied. "Why is that?" "What do you mean?" "I don't understand. Why are you not making it clear?" He was known to ask the same exact question 10 times in a row."

 

[I7guy]

Or maybe. Just maybe. Tim is lying. It’s all about profit. Any thing else that he is is pure bs. Apple has been on quite the pr run lately. That says more than any article and interview
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No double Apple makes great products. But no one can deny under Tim there has undeniable growth. And also undeniable loss of q.c.

Or maybe he is not lying. And maybe many do think what Cook says about customer coming first is true. As far as the “pr run”, maybe Apple should just stay silent and get criticized for that.

As far as a loss of q.c.!im not seeing that since the iPhone 4, so I disagree on that point. It’s about the way it’s always been for the last 8 years.

 

[JediZenMaster]

Thats fine though right? They should be paying 3 or 4 times more BUT since they already pay the most we should let them cheat. Do you people hear your self? Thats money that could be going to a free healthcare system, to free public transportation, imagine what could be done with such amount of moneys.But no lets defend the cheaters because the government is evil and corporations are out to help us, not make a profit.
[doublepost=1519287584][/doublepost]

Keep enjoying your free healthcare system, awesome public transportation and cheap meds. Brought to you by no one...

Free healthcare care? Not sure where you live but it’s not the United States.

My meds are dirt cheap as is my insurance because I have great benefits and Seattle has some of the best public transit in the country so I’ll keep enjoying it though

 

[scott911]

What Timmy meant to say: "Apple is always focused on margins over products and people"

any from his photo, it looks like he's also focused on a small spider on the ceiling...

 

[thettareddast]

The ends justify the meanness, huh.

That said, the Apple of today is a very different machine from the Apple of yesteryear. Jobs did an admirable job of bringing Apple back from the brink of bankruptcy, but I’m not convinced Apple would be better off with Jobs at the helm with the company at its current size and trajectory anyway. I have to wonder if he would have stepped aside anyway by now.

as every employee in an organization funnels up to the chief executive, isnt he perfectly fulfilling the foremost of his objective - to get the most from his people

 

[Phonephreak]

Or maybe he is not lying. And maybe many do think what Cook says about customer coming first is true. As far as the “pr run”, maybe Apple should just stay silent and get criticized for that.

As far as a loss of q.c.!im not seeing that since the iPhone 4, so I disagree on that point. It’s about the way it’s always been for the last 8 years.

PR happens for a reason. Most of the time because of a problem. So no they need to speak out but remember it’s not because they want to. They HAD to.

Lately Apple is all about over promising then under delivering. There is no denying it. The release hp but not certain features promised. They promise AirPlay 2. Don’t deliver.

Not to mention Apple stores denying battery replacements because the battery is “fine”
[doublepost=1519312916][/doublepost]

The ends justify the meanness, huh.

That said, the Apple of today is a very different machine from the Apple of yesteryear. Jobs did an admirable job of bringing Apple back from the brink of bankruptcy, but I’m not convinced Apple would be better off with Jobs at the helm with the company at its current size and trajectory anyway. I have to wonder if he would have stepped aside anyway by now.

In the world of business. Yep

 

[citysnaps]

Like many others, you’re just talking about the hardware though. The software they put out today is absolutely dire and just isn’t up to the quality standard that we should all be expecting from Apple, especially considering the crazy-high prices that they charge today. It negates any decent hardware they put out for many.

HomePod - Speakers are great! (software sucks though)

My iPhone X is great! It’s the best iPhone ever (iOS 11 sucks though and is regarded as the worst version yet)

My MacBook Pro is great! (High Sierra sucks though)


It’s not the hardware that’s the problem (fewer ports, notch and headphone jack aside), it’s the software that is lacking which is the heart and soul of Apple products. Well, it used to be anyway. Everyone just shouts about the hardware now when it was the software was what made me fall in love with Apple.

No software issues here with my HomePod, iPhone X, and 2017 MBP (as well as my Watch, iPad, and iMac). They all just work and are reliable.

Maybe you should schedule a visit to the Genius Bar for assistance if you're having issues?
[doublepost=1519314056][/doublepost]

Or maybe he is not lying. And maybe many do think what Cook says about customer coming first is true. As far as the “pr run”, maybe Apple should just stay silent and get criticized for that.

As far as a loss of q.c.!im not seeing that since the iPhone 4, so I disagree on that point. It’s about the way it’s always been for the last 8 years.

"As far as a loss of q.c.!im not seeing that since the iPhone 4, so I disagree on that point. It’s about the way it’s always been for the last 8 years."

Same here.

Last time I had any qc issues was with my two Mac Pros (a 2006 and a 2010), and an early iPhone. But that was when Apple was under a different CEO.

 

[forerunnerg34]

Where do you draw the line on that? Adding the Touch Bar to laptops didn't take anything away from earlier model users. In general, the absence of free hardware upgrades, duh, this isn't Wish Fulfillment World.

If you read my post, I'm saying that Apple makes your hardware less great with their software updates, not by adding extra hardware in new models. Adding new hardware is perfect (as long as is better hardware), however some customers feel that Apple did take away something (I/O ports and RAM).

 

[I7guy]

PR happens for a reason.

Sure and a great and valid reason is to promote a product, brand, idea.

Most of the time because of a problem. So no they need to speak out but remember it’s not because they want to. They HAD to.

Straw man. Most companies address any customer concern in a similar manner, but that is different promoting a brand, idea or product.

Lately Apple is all about over promising then under delivering. There is no denying it. The release hp but not certain features promised. They promise AirPlay 2. Don’t deliver.

Another straw man. They never promised airplay 2 in 11.3 beta.

Not to mention Apple stores denying battery replacements because the battery is “fine”.

Yet another straw man. My battery was replaced. Everybody at this point can get a $29 battery replacement. There might have been some who didn’t get a battery replacement prior to Apple announcing the new policy.

 

[Phonephreak]

Sure and a great and valid reason is to promote a product, brand, idea.

Straw man. Most companies address any customer concern in a similar manner, but that is different promoting a brand, idea or product.

Another straw man. They never promised airplay 2 in 11.3 beta.

Yet another straw man. My battery was replaced. Everybody at this point can get a $29 battery replacement. There might have been some who didn’t get a battery replacement prior to Apple announcing the new policy.

Ok you win. Impossible to debate a Apple fanatic. In your eyes they can do no wrong.

 

[wigby]

The problem is that many of us are hoping that Apple will return to their old ways and produce quality products that are actually innovative and not just copying others. At least products that work better than the competition.
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No, he is trying to say that an iPhone X can replace high end photography equipment that costs thousands of dollars, anyone who has used such equipment knows this is nonsense, but he spouts it off as fact.

I use pro equipment all the time and I know that iPhone can replace this gear from time to time. Again, Cook never says that iPhone X can replace pro gear. He merely compares the phone to that gear. I've used iPhone many times to grab quick shots because I didn't feel like pulling out my large cams or had a tech issue with the pro great. Did I throw out all of my pro gear? No, but no one is suggesting that including Cook.

 

[AZREOSpecialist]

What a cheesy portrait. Really?

 

[groove-agent]

Yes Tim, I get it and have read about the technology. My post was more rhetorical.

If you don't understand how the underlying HomePod technology (sophisticated adaptive beamforming signal processing driving a 7 element speaker, and 6 element microphone array, with automatic self-equalization) works and drives outstanding audio quality, then I understand how you believe it's just another speaker.

If you would take the time to dig a little deeper, you might understand the true technological breakthrough HomePod represents, especially for a well-priced piece of consumer gear.